Hajj Terminal of King Abdulaziz International Airport, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Image details
Contributor:
B.O'Kane / Alamy Stock PhotoImage ID:
2N427DEFile size:
128.1 MB (3.9 MB Compressed download)Releases:
Model - no | Property - noDo I need a release?Dimensions:
8192 x 5464 px | 69.4 x 46.3 cm | 27.3 x 18.2 inches | 300dpiDate taken:
23 January 2023Location:
Jeddah, Saudi ArabiaMore information:
Because of Jeddah's proximity to the city of Mecca, the airport has a dedicated Hajj Terminal, built to handle pilgrims taking part in the rituals associated with the annual Hajj. It can accommodate 80, 000 travelers at the same time. Designed by the Bangladeshi-American engineer Fazlur Rahman Khan of the architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM), it is known for its tent-like roof structure, engineered by Horst Berger while part of Geiger Berger Associates. Ten modules, each consisting of twenty-one "tents" of white colored Teflon-coated fiberglass fabric suspended from pylons, are grouped together into two blocks of five modules and separated by a landscaped mall between the blocks. Only customs, baggage handling and similar facilities are located in an air-conditioned building. The vast majority of the complex, called "Terminal Support Area", is a flexible, open area, conceived to function like a village, complete with souk (market) and mosque. Not enclosed by walls, this area is sheltered from the intense sun while allowing for natural ventilation; because of this, some consider it to be a green, environmentally-friendly building. The Hajj Terminal received the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 1983. According to the jury, "the brilliant and imaginative design of the roofing system met the awesome challenge of covering this vast space with incomparable elegance and beauty."